Dish it out

Zahraa Raza, the brains behind Chef For The Weekend, shares some of her favourite, easy to prepare recipes


May 07, 2017

Zahraa Raza, the brains behind Chef For The Weekend, shares some of her favourite, easy to prepare recipes. Learn some of the most delectable dishes from the expert herself!

French Bean and Chickpea Salad with Peanuts



Ingredients

2 cups French beans

2 cups chickpeas, canned

1 cup fried peanuts

1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

1/2 cup sesame oil

A pinch of salt

Iceberg (optional)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 cups rice noodles

Method

Cook the rice noodles as mentioned on the packet. Blanch the French beans with a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Drain the water and set it aside. In a frying pan add some oil and fry a cup of peanuts, until the peanuts become crispy. In another pan add some sesame oil and sauté two cups of chickpeas until the flavour of oil is infused in the chicken peas. In a large bowl, toss the rice noodles, chickpeas, French beans and peanuts all together. Plate the salad in the centre of the platter and sprinkle sesame seeds and peanuts on top. For the dressing, whisk two tablespoons of sesame oil, peanut butter and soy sauce together. Whisk well and drizzle the dressing on top of the salad.

Hot Chilli Lime Chips with Salsa and Aïoli



Ingredients

6 pieces of tortilla bread

2 tablespoons chilli oil

1 teaspoon garlic minced

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

1/2 cup chopped red onions

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic

2 tablespoons cream

Creamy garlic dip

Salsa

Salt, to taste

Method

In a saucepan add chilli oil and garlic, sauté it for two minutes and then add chilli flakes, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Cook it for five minutes and then pour it out in a bowl. Cut the tortilla bread into small triangles and brush the mixture properly on both sides. Bake it for eight minutes at 180 Fahrenheit until it’s crispy. Put all the vegetables together in a bowl and mix it well with balsamic vinegar, then set it aside. For the creamy dip, add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk it well, until it is light and fluffy. Serve the crispy chips with salsa and dip.

Mocha Mousse with Raspberries



Ingredients

1 1/3 cups milk

1 package semisweet chocolate chips (12-ounces)

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup brewed espresso

4 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Sweetened whipped cream

Fresh berries for garnish

Method

Cook milk in a heavy aluminum-free saucepan over medium-high heat for two to three minutes, or until tiny bubbles begin to appear around the edges of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Combine chocolate morsels and the next four ingredients in a blender. Process the mixture on a low speed for 20 seconds or until it is smooth. With the blender running on low, add milk in a slow, steady stream and process it for a minute or until it’s smooth. Pour 1/3 cup chocolate mixture into each of the 12, five ounce glasses. Cover it and chill for four to 24 hours. Top it off with whipped cream and garnish it with fresh berries.

Teriyaki Beef Lettuce Cups



Ingredients

350 grams trimmed sirloin steak

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce marinade (we use Kikkoman teriyaki marinade)

1⁄2 cucumber

2 tablespoons coriander, roughly chopped

1⁄2 lime juice

6 little gem lettuce leaves

1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced

1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced

Method

Put the steak between two sheets of cling film and beat it with a rolling pin until it is half its original thickness. Thinly slice the steak, and then mix it with the teriyaki marinade in a bowl. Leave it to marinate for five to 10 minutes. Roughly dice the cucumber and mix it with the chopped coriander and lime juice. Season this with a little salt. Heat a frying pan until it is very hot, then fry the steak slices for 1½-2½ minutes for rare to medium, turning the slices halfway through. Pile the cucumber mixture into the lettuce leaves, and then top it with the seared teriyaki beef, chilli and red onion.

Creamy Chilli Mushroom and Chicken Canapés



Ingredients

1 cup cream

1 cup chicken, sliced and seasoned

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 French baguette

Method

Sauté the chicken in a pan with oil and garlic, then add salt and pepper. Cook this for 10 minutes and set it aside. In the same pan add cream, milk, cream cheese, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Cook it for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, and in the end add chicken and mushroom. Cook this for another 10 minutes and dish it out. Wait for it to cool. Cut 14 slices of the baguette and place the slices on a serving board. Spoon the mixture on top of the bread slices and garnish it with parsley. You can serve this dish warm or cold.

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